The wait is finally over. After holding out and missing a good part of training camp, Devils forward Miles Wood finally agreed to a new deal. The contract is good for four years, totaling $11 million ($2.75 million AAV).

Many didn’t know what to expect from the holdout. After a report earlier in the week explained the two sides were still very far off on a new deal, questions began to arise on whether it would happen before the start of the season. Surprisingly, not only was the deal done just a few days later, but it isn’t a pure “bridge deal,” either. To get a feel of what type of contract the 23-year-old left wing received, I compared it to others around the league.

Name	Length	AAV	GP in 2017-18	Points in 2017-18
Ondrej Kase	3	2,600,000	66	38
Oliver Bjorkstrand	3	2,500,000	82	40
Andreas Athanasiou	3	3,000,000	71	33
Boone Jenner	2	2,750,000	75	32
Miles Wood	4	2,750,000	76	32

** Contract information and comparable via capfriendly.com **

You can see Wood’s contract is right on par with other forwards around the league that put up similar numbers. When also factoring in Wood’s raw talent and extreme youth, you can conclude general manager Ray Shero once again did a great job.

While the figures of the contract may be nice, many are underestimating what may be the best aspect of this new deal. Miles Wood was a restricted free agent before signing this deal. This meant that the Devils held his rights and were the only team he would be able to play for this year.

At the end of Wood’s new four-year deal, that’ll be the case once again. As a restricted free agent, the Devils will — much like this year— hold the rights to Miles Wood. If he was an unrestricted free agent at the end of this deal, he would be free to negotiate with any team he likes. Not only did Ray Shero make a deal that is financially friendly to the future of the Devils, but he also ensured a young talented forward is under the team’s control for years to come.